ABSTRACT
Webster's defi nes ecstasy as "a state of bei ng beyond reason or self-control," "a state of overwhelming emotion," "a mystic or prophetic trance," a "swoon." In the early eighties, ecstasy acquired another meaning: the illegal drug MDMA, whose range of effects spans all the definitions above. A "psychedelic amphetamine," MDMA is a remarkable chemical, combining the sensory intensification and auditory enhancement of marijuana and low-dose LSD, the sleep-defying, energy-boosting effects of speed, and the uninhibited conviviality of alcohol. If that wasn't enough, MDMA offers unique effects of empathy and insight.
